Framing the Victim

Framing the Victim illustrates how victims of domestic violence are "framed" by the dominant media perspectives focused on them and falsely blamed for a crime committed by someone else. Berns critiques the stories that emerge when social problems are shaped by guidelines that promote entertainment, victim empowerment, inspiration and politics.

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"Whether you are drawn to this book because of an interest in media, social problems, or domestic violence, reading it will help you better understand the impact media stories have on our perceptions of social problems." That is how Nancy Berns introduces her book. It is a work that unabashedly examines not only domestic violence, but also the larger picture of how politics and processes shape our responses to social problems. Framing the Victim also distinguishes serious research from media, which promote entertainment, empowerment, and drama.